Familiar

Open-source, local-first macOS menu bar app that automatically captures screen context (screenshot OCR, clipboard mirroring) to keep AI tools continuously informed about your work environment.

Overview#

Familiar is a macOS menu bar app that automatically captures screen content through periodic screenshots and Apple Vision OCR, while mirroring clipboard content for fully local context recording. All data is stored in user-specified folders with sensitive information filtering using ripgrep to scan for password/API key patterns.

Core Capabilities#

Screen Context Capture#

Periodic Screenshots: Automatically captures screen content every few seconds
Apple Vision OCR: Native OCR converts screenshots to searchable text
Clipboard Mirroring: Automatically saves all clipboard content (text + images)
Speech-to-Text Compatibility: Supports most third-party speech-to-text tools

Privacy & Security#

Fully offline operation - no network required, no cloud uploads
Local storage: All data stored in user-specified folder (default <contextFolderPath>/familiar/)
Sensitive information filtering: Uses ripgrep (rg) to scan and filter password/API key patterns
Pause/exit anytime via menu bar icon

AI Integration#

Compatible with multiple AI tools: OpenClaw, Claude Cowork, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Antigravity, etc. Can automatically add configuration files (Skills) for AI tools. Exposes context through local file system - AI tools read Markdown files in <contextFolderPath>/familiar/ directory.

Data Management#

Retention control: Auto-cleanup (15min/1hour/1day/7days/all time)
Manual deletion: Direct file system access to delete any context
Storage locations:
- Settings: ~/.familiar/settings.json
- Screenshots: <contextFolderPath>/familiar/stills/
- Markdown/OCR output: <contextFolderPath>/familiar/stills-markdown/

Use Cases#

Recall & Discovery: "What did I actually do today? Where did the time go?"
Decision Support: "What decisions did we make this week that aren't documented?"
Relationship Management: "What are all my interactions with this person?"
Productivity Analysis: "Where does my deep work happen? What kills it?"
Knowledge Transfer: Handover preparation based on screen history

Installation#

Download Release (Recommended)#

Visit Releases page to download latest .dmg file
arm64: Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3/M4); x64: Intel Macs
Install and move Familiar.app to Applications
Complete setup wizard (grant screen recording and accessibility permissions)

Build from Source#

git clone https://github.com/familiar-software/familiar.git
cd familiar/code/desktopapp
npm install
npm start  # Development
npm run dist:mac  # Build macOS installer

Architecture#

Built on Electron 40.0.0 with better-sqlite3 database and Tailwind CSS 4.x UI. OCR via Apple Vision Framework (native Swift/Objective-C), text search/filtering via ripgrep (rg).

├── src/           # Main source (main.js entry)
├── build/         # Build config (entitlements, icon)
├── scripts/       # Build scripts (bin/rg, bin/familiar-ocr-helper)
├── test/          # Tests (unit, modelProviderTests, e2e)
└── docs/readme/   # Documentation

Version Info#

Current version: 0.0.44
Minimum system requirement: macOS 14.0+
Developers: Tal Raviv, Maxim Vovshin (familiar-software)
Project stage: Alpha, recruiting test users